HP Strategist: PC Business Not For Sale

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Hewlett-Packard's top strategist is reaffirming the company's commitment to the PC business in the wake of a 10K filing that raised the specter that HP could sell off underperforming assets or business units.

"We are committed to the PC business," said HP Chief Strategy Officer Mohamad Ali in an interview with CRN at the HP Engage road show in Framingham, Mass., when asked if statements in HP's recent 10K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission signals a renewed interest in selling off the PC business.

"[HP CEO] Meg [Whitman] has said this, and I am going to repeat that. The stuff that you see in the 10K is responsible stuff that any company should always be doing: looking at the things that fit, looking at the things that don't. But we have said repeatedly over the last year that we are absolutely committed to the PC business."

Ali, the former CEO of Aspect Software and a former IBM strategist who led the charge on a number of high-profile IBM acquisitions including Cognos, joined HP as top strategist just five months ago.

Ali's comments come after HP noted last month in the "Risk Factors" section of its 10-K that it will "continue to evaluate the potential disposition of assets and businesses that may no longer help us meet our objectives."

Furthermore, HP cautioned in the 10-K that it may "dispose of a business at a price or on terms that are less desirable than we had anticipated."

HP reported earnings before taxes of $1.70 billion on sales of $35.65 billion for its Personal Systems business for the fiscal year ended Oct. 31, 2012. That compares with earnings before taxes of $2.35 billion on sales of $39.57 billion for the prior fiscal year.